Graduate Program Directors’

Meeting 2014

Sponsored by the staff of the Graduate College

Introductions• Graduate College Staff

• Graduate Program Directors

• Duties of Graduate Program Directors

Announcements• New Scholarships

• Tracking Active Students / Inactive Students

• Pass/No Pass Transcripts (Western Governors University)

• Graduate Assistantship Eligibility

• Legal Issues? [Rachael Dockery]

Reminders “Start-semester” is critical in Banner

Applications close after the first week of a semester.

Admissions closes after census date (4 weeks)

Don’t admit someone for a semester in which they are already registered as a post-bacc student.

Adding /changing a program requires a new application or contact Michael Edwards.

Accelerated Masters candidates must apply for the semester they will truly be a grad student, not when they want to take “mixed credit” classes as a senior

Reminders – International students Need to take at least 6 credits face-to-face

Summer classes

“conditional admissions” for ELI students

Visa issues are complex Contact International Services with questions

Reminders – Forms & Paperwork

• 9 credits of C or lower• Letters from the Graduate College

• Removal from program when exceeded

• Post-baccalaureate students (non-degree seeking)• Registration holds after 9 credits

• Apply to graduate (or complete a certificate)• 8 year limits

DUTIES OF GRADUATE PROGRAM DIRECTORS

Dr. Tom Tomasi

Associate Dean of the Graduate College

Purposes of this Document:• Ensure that students receive the best guidance

toward degree completion• Ensure that no aspect of the process is inadvertently

omitted• Document for administrators the effort &

commitment needed for successful grad programs

Offshoots from this process:• Collecting info from across campus on how graduate

Program Directors are compensated• Similar list of responsibilities (“manual”) for

graduate advisors/mentors

Document Sections:• Recruitment• Admissions• Advising• Record Keeping

• Limitations & Caveats:• Not all responsibilities will apply to all programs• Responsibilities may be delegated to a variety

of people:» Department Head» Departmental Graduate Committee» Advising office» Faculty mentors/advisors

• Programs will divide responsibilities in a variety of ways . . . . . . and that’s OK

Community Involvement• Alex Johnson, Director of Community

Involvement and Service, Citizenship and Service Learning

Degree Completion• Student-Tracking updates -AAPS– Degree Audits (vs. AAPS) – Oct 2015!!!– Scan documents on GRADs

Christy Graham

GRADS Dashboard

Degree Completion• Student-Tracking updates - Graduation– Application to Graduate and to complete graduate

certificate: Students complete application by going to My Missouri State - located under the Academics Tab, Commencement Channel

• Reminders– Thesis funding & travel funding– Thesis Award & TA Award (MAGS)– 8 year extensions– Comprehensive Examinations– Research requirements

Recruitment• Activities this semester– 36 Events– Virtual Fairs– Recruitment mini-grants– Facebook Ads

• Next Semester– 12 Events– KY3 & KSPR33 online Ads– Google Ad Words– YouTube– Communication Plan– CRM Misty Stewart

Admissions• Legal Issues Session• Recruiter Information Session• GRUC Exception (International Services)• Quarterly Newsletter– November 15th / International Services

• Communication Plan updates– Phone calls to all applicants

• Last 60 hours calculations– Calculation available in GRADS

Michael Edwards

GRADS Dashboard• GRADS Dashboard Manual– Available upon request

• GRE Percentiles• GPA Calculations• Statement of Purpose/Writing Sample• Credential Evaluation– Grade Equivalency– English Language Institute attendance

Electronic Transcripts

Traditional Electronic

Reminders!• GRADS Dashboard – – Add an Administrative Assistant.

• Admission Recommendation Form – Formal– Document is sent to applicant

• Applicant has not finished the application package and semester has started? – Don’t wish to admit the student?– What is the proper action to take?

Letters of Recommendation

QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSEDProgram Director Questions from Survey

• “Eliminating the re-admission process as unnecessary, or at least giving students five years before they need to be readmitted”.– University requires updated biographical

information from a person after one year.– Away for less than one year then applicant needs

only to send Graduate Admissions an email.• Program Director must re-admit in GRADS Dashboard.

Reapplication Process

General Orientation for New P.D.

• The Graduate College handles orientation for new Program Directors as directors are replaced. Replacement is sporadic.

• Two options:1. Make an appointment for Michael Edwards to

come to your office and walk you through GRADS Dashboard and the process.

2. Make an appointment to sit down with Christy Graham, Misty Stewart, Michael Edwards, etc.

Last 60 Hours & GRE

• “Please explain why applications are sent to the department when GRE scores are not listed”.– The GRE is a program-specific requirement. A complete

application for the Grad College is when an application has 1. Application, 2. App fee, 3. Bachelor degree transcripts,

4. 2.75 GPA or meets one of the alternative criteria.– GRE arrival email is sent when an app is at ‘S’

• “Please explain why applications are sent to the department when the last 60 credit hours are not listed”.– All international applications have a last 60 hour calculation

made.– Only domestic applications with a GPA less than a 3.00 have a

last 60 hour calculation made.

Requested Updates to GRADS• 2/1/2010 – Ability to have applicants submit documentation electronically.• 7/1/2010 – Add ability to email all documents to a set of recipients. • 7/1/2010 – Add the “personal statement” information to the Admission Recommendation

form.• 8/2/2010 – Allow programs to annotate documents through GRADS• 12/16/2010 – Multiple GRADS Access Assignments per person• 12/16/2010 – Allow GRADS users to change email notification settings• 9/13/2013 – Change term codes to readable format• 12/12/2013 – Extra notes from Graduate College• 1/9/2014 – GRADS needs better Mac support• 3/27/2014 – Sent to department emails to departmental mailboxes• 4/25/2014 – Change message for not authorized condition• 5/22/2014 – GRADS and term-coded documents• 5/29/2014 – Accelerated Master’s filter• 6/16/2014 – GRADS Test Score column

Contact Michael Edwards to put in requests for GRADS Dashboard updates.

GRADS Dashboard

• “How to clear my GRADS Dashboard folders every semester. We have many students not admitted”.– Graduate Admissions inactivates all applications

without a decision (‘I’, ‘C’, ‘S’, ‘G’) four weeks into the semester. These apps will disappear unless you check the Include Inactive Applications.

Banner Document Management System

• “How to add information (departmental application materials to GRADS Dashboard)”.– Too technical to go into detail here.– If enough Program Directors are interested in this

I’d be happy to put together a presentation. – We already have manuals for this but one-on-one

help is available from our office. Contact us.

Emails Sent by Grad College

• “Emails sent to students from Grad College regarding contact the program coordinator”.– Updates to Communication Plan– Monthly email to ‘S – Sent to Department’

applicants.

Pending Transcript

• Why does the transcript indicate ‘Pending’?

Post-Baccalaureate Process

• “Post-baccalaureate students/process”– Missouri Outreach handles the PB process.1. Complete a Course Enrollment Form.2. Deliver Methods:

1. Fax it to 417-836-4929.2. Hand-deliver it.3. Mail it.

3. Applicants can register for classes on the form.4. Graduate Admissions will mail an acceptance

letter.

Grade Conversion ScalesGRADS Dashboard - Credential Evaluation – ‘C’ to the left of the BearPass Number

Statement of Purpose

Upcoming Meeting• International Services (Lisa Gibson)– International Credential Evaluation– International Evaluation Process

• English Language Institute (Dr. Jane Robison)– Conditional Admission

• Graduate Admissions Process (Michael Edwards)

Thesis Information• Thesis Guide (new version)• Checklist• Template• SafeAssign, not Turnitin• Deadlines– Fall: November 24, 2014– Spring: April 20, 2015

GEN 798 – Active in Research

• Zero credit hour course• For those students with only their research

requirement remaining to be completed• Provides the following:–Access to the library–Opportunity to purchase a parking pass–Access to computer services, including

e-mail• Graded as a “P” or “N”• Register online like any other course

Assistantships & Financial Aid• Graduate Assistantships– 4 semesters for 1st degree– 20 hr/week & 1000 hr/yr– Accelerated Masters students– GPA = 3.00– McNair Assistantships

• Graduate Scholarships (Diversity & Financial need)• Financial Aid Loans– In degree programs & most certificate programs– Unsubsidized

• Work study

22nd Annual

Graduate Interdisciplinary

ForumApril 25, 2015

Online Articulation Agreements

Missouri State Online - http://outreach.missouristate.edu/missouristateonline.htm

Alternate PathwaysAlternative Pathways Request Form

Alternative Pathways Request Form

Alternate Pathways

QUESTIONS ???